The blog on this website is my account of the 2008 Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. I have read that there is no photography equipment allowed in the Qwest Center however I’m going to see what I can do to snag a few pictures.

Day 3:

“WOMAN, WHERE IS MY SUPER SUIT? WHERE IS MY SUPER SUIT?”
---Frozone, from the movie “The Incredibles”

I entered the locker room to put on my suit for the prelims and it was like entering another world. There were about 15 athletes in the room each in various stages of preparation when I took my place at an open locker. I’ve been in high stress situations before (NCAAs, Big 12s, etc.) but this was very different.

There was no sound except for the grunts and gasps from my competitors trying to put on their new Speedo LZR suits. I sat down, took my sandals and shirt off and thought that this is probably what a superhero locker room would look like if Batman, Captain America or Superman were getting ready for all the day’s do-gooding. I actually said this aloud and the guys stopped their struggling and cracked up laughing.

Afterward, sitting in the athlete’s lounge I began to really get nervous. I tried to tell myself that I’d been here before but my heart and stomach were doing sprints. Then my coach, Mel Nash, came in and I began to feel a little better. Finally it was time to go.

All the swimmers in my heat gathered behind a checkpoint where USA Swimming officials and armed U.S. Marines verified our credentials as we passed in a line out onto the pool deck and up behind the blocks. [The marines are there to protect the athletes from possible terrorist acts – there have been threats] Anyway, we passed out onto the deck as the heat before us was swimming the last 25 meters of their race.

Standing behind the blocks I went through my ritual and everything began to relax and fall into place. I came off the blocks and knew I was quick [I found out my reaction time was the best in the heat at .71 seconds and had been broadcast by the Qwest Center’s announcer] and the water felt amazing!

The only thing I remember from my swim was the breathing to my right around the 75 mark wondering where the hell everyone to the left was in respect to me. I love being in lanes 2 and 3 because I breathe to my right only in races, and I can see where I am in the field when I breathe.

I immediately looked up to the timing board and saw that I had finished with a life-time best time by over a quarter of a second. Only then did I notice I had place fourth in my heat. I knew immediately that my hopes for a semi-final berth were slim but I had done my best against the best in America – which means the best in the world.

Later, after I had warmed-down [swam in the other pool to relax my muscles] I dressed and watched the rest of the day’s swims. When all events were over I went outside and met my parents and we went to lunch and then back to the hotel for a nap.

I went to finals with my parents, though I couldn’t sit with them. We enjoyed watching the American records set and, of course, Michael Phelps. Afterward, when the finals had ended and the medal ceremonies over, we walked outside and I introduced my parents to some of my friends – Cullen Jones [he finished third in the 100-free] and Ryan Lochte [he had already made the Olympic team in the 400 Individual Medley and will be a member of the 800-Free Relay]. Later at dinner, I sent my Mom over to get Gary Hall, Jr.’s autograph – he was at the next table. [Gary Hall, Jr. is the gold medalist in the 50-Free in the last three Olympics and he is swimming this trials, trying for a historic fourth shot. His father was also a 3-time Olympic gold medalist in the 50-Free. Life father like son] By the way, in private Gary’s a pretty nice guy, but in public he is a huge prima donna.

Anyway, off to the hotel and a soft bed. More tomorrow.